By way of example, a system for displaying multimedia content, for instance a home entertainment system or the like, may include several different and separate electronic devices interconnected relative to a monitor having a display screen or the like. The separate electronic devices may include a cable or satellite set-top-box (STB), a video and/or audio player and/or recorder (i.e., CD, MP3, VCR, DVD, DVR, Blu-ray, etc.), an Internet access console, a gaming console, a computer, a surround sound speaker system and like devices which may be connected to a display apparatus such as a high definition television display monitor. Typically, the monitor and each device of the assembled system are provided with its own specially-designed, hand-held, battery-powered, remote controller. If desired, a user can separately interface with and control each device separately via sequential use of different remote controllers.
As an alternative and improvement to using multiple different remote controllers, a so-called programmable universal remote control device can be obtained and used to replace the multiple remotes required to separately control each of the electronic devices. While the programmable universal remote controller provides the convenience of a single remote control device, it tends to complicate the interface function since the universal remote controller is required to be programmed so that it can directly and separately communicate with each of the different targeted electronic devices. Thus, a user must understand how to program the universal remote and how and when to switch between control of different targeted devices for a desired function, and a user must know which specific controls or actions correspond to which of the electronic devices being controlled. Thus, operation of programmable universal remote controls can be confusing for some consumers.
A further example of remotely controlling multiple devices is provided by the use of a so-called infrared (IR) blaster. An IR blaster is typically connected via a flexible cable to a connection port in the rear panel of one electronic device, such as a digital video recorder (DVR), and includes an IR emitter that is positioned a spaced distance in front of a front panel of a second electronic device, such as a set-top-box (STB), for purposes of automatically controlling an operation of the STB. The above referenced positioning of the emitter is required to ensure that the signal emitted from the IR blaster will be properly received by the STB. For example, when a DVR is programmed to record a specific channel at a specific time, the DVR can ensure that an interconnected STB will provide the appropriate channel feed via use of the IR blaster which automatically generates and emits a wireless control signal to the STB at the appropriate time to change the selected channel to that set to be recorded. Drawbacks of IR blasters are that they may be considered cosmetically unappealing due to their required positioning spaced in front of the STB and that they are limited in function.